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Mexican immigrant experiences with discrimination in southern Appalachia

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Abstract

Mexican immigrant populations have grown in many Appalachian communities due to increased job opportunities in the Christmas tree, textile, meatpacking and agricultural industries. Racially and ethnically homogeneous communities offer few public resources to support immigrants. On the basis of data collected through a community-based needs assessment, this study examines the experiences of discrimination for immigrants in western North Carolina. This study furthers research on how immigrants define discrimination and the specific experiences they have faced when accessing jobs, housing and public services. The results show how the power of structural discrimination and group threat shape the experiences of discrimination for immigrants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

    Cameron D Lippard

  2. Craven Community College, New Bern, NC

    M Graham Spann

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  1. Cameron D Lippard
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Lippard, C., Spann, M. Mexican immigrant experiences with discrimination in southern Appalachia. Lat Stud 12, 374–398 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/lst.2014.42

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